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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25814752">sojourn</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsiloneridani/pseuds/epsiloneridani'>epsiloneridani</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 12:02:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,005</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25814752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsiloneridani/pseuds/epsiloneridani</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“So, where are we going?”</p>
<p>Echo snorts softly and ruffles his hair. The ship hums, hurtling through hyperspace. Fives isn’t sure what coordinates Echo put in and, despite his question, he doesn’t really care. The war is over. Where they go now is completely up to them.</p>
<p>“Get some sleep,” Echo says. “You’ll see.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CT-21-0408 | Echo &amp; CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>sojourn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, where are we going?”</p>
<p>Echo snorts softly and ruffles his hair. The ship hums, hurtling through hyperspace. Fives isn’t sure what coordinates Echo put in and, despite his question, he doesn’t really care. The war is over. Where they go now is completely up to them.</p>
<p>“Get some sleep,” Echo says. “You’ll see.”</p>
<p>“Tell me it’s not another swamp planet, at least,” Fives says, a week later when he’s still scraping the mud off his boots and shaking the water out of his ears. Not wearing armor means he feels lighter when he runs, but it also means his boots don’t have as much traction. He never thought mud could be so slippery.</p>
<p>“It’s not,” Echo says. “I promise.”</p>
<p>It isn’t until their ship powers down that Fives realizes he’s never touched snow without the fear of being lit afire.</p>
<p>But there is no war here.</p>
<p>“Fives, c’mon,” Echo says, and Fives barely has a chance to spin around before Echo shoves him bodily and he goes hurtling face-first into the snow. His cheeks are freezing, Echo’s laughing, there are tears in his eyes, and he’s never felt so alive. Fives chuffs a giggle that turns over and over and avalanches into a wild laugh. He strips off his gloves and drives his hands into the ground below until they prickle and sting with the cold. The sky is bright. The air is crisp, burning in his lungs. He takes a deep breath – again, again.</p>
<p>Echo doesn’t make him go back into the ship until they both start shivering. He disappears into the kitchenette for a few moments and returns with a blanket and a steaming hot mug.</p>
<p>“Cocoa,” Echo says, tucking the blanket around his shoulders. “Tech told me we were supposed to try it after we finished up here.”</p>
<p>Fives quirks a brow and accepts the mug. “‘Finished up,’” he says. “It’s not an op, Echo.”</p>
<p>Echo rolls his eyes and slides into the co-pilot’s seat. “You get to pick the next set of coordinates,” he points out. “So where are we going?”</p>
<p>Fives sips at the mug. It’s sweet. Searing. He likes it already. “Be patient,” he says. “You’ll see.”</p>
<p>“Fives.”</p>
<p>“You made me wait,” he points out. “You also made me crawl through the mud.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Echo says, but he doesn’t sound sorry at all. His lips twitch into a mischievous smile.</p>
<p>“You just had to see that damned tree.”</p>
<p>“It was a good tree.”</p>
<p>“It was not worth a ten mile hike.”</p>
<p>“It definitely was.”</p>
<p>Fives hums over his mug. “Agree to disagree,” he says. “Deal?”</p>
<p>“It was a good tree.”</p>
<p>No deal.</p>
<p>“Where are we?” Echo asks, as soon as the ramp touches the ground. Fives shoves his shoulder and slings his pack over his shoulders.</p>
<p>“A planet,” Fives says dryly.</p>
<p>“Fives, have you seen my….oh.”</p>
<p>Fives tosses the pack to him, then helps him secure it. “How do you misplace a pack on a ship this size?” he asks, and tugs a strap tight. “Where do you think it would’ve gone?”</p>
<p>“Just make sure it doesn’t fall off.”</p>
<p>“If it fell off, it would serve you right.”</p>
<p>“It’d technically be your fault, since you’re the one who’s supposed to be checking my gear.”</p>
<p>Fives shoves the back of his head. “It’s secure,” he says. “Happy now?”</p>
<p>Echo elbows his ribs gently. “I will be once you tell me where we are.”</p>
<p>Fives grins. “You’ll see,” he says. “Just follow me.”</p>
<p>Echo’s used to being the leader, between the two of them: guiding, not guided. Nonetheless, the most he does is sigh and fall in line. Fives squeezes his wrist. “You’ll like it,” he says. “I promise.”</p>
<p>The sky is dark, sparkling with stars. They’ve seen space a thousands times, but always through a lens: always with a ticking will to survive. Echo’s transfixed and for a second, Fives is quiet.</p>
<p>“C’mon,” he says at last. “I wanna get going.”</p>
<p>“Hmm?”</p>
<p>“C’mon!”</p>
<p>Echo shakes his head. “Right,” he says, and for a second, his eyes are just as bright as the sky. “Right. Lead the way.”</p>
<p>The path to their destination is neither short nor easy. By the time they stumble to the top of the hill, they’re both breathing hard.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Echo heaves, uncapping his canteen. “I didn’t realize we were going to be repeating ARC training today.”</p>
<p>“Please,” Fives wheezes, “this is nothing compared to what Rex put us through.”</p>
<p>Echo tilts his head in silent allowance. “True,” he says, once he’s caught his breath. “That was much worse.”</p>
<p>Fives nods to the hillside, then eases down. Echo takes a seat beside him. “What are we looking for?” he asks, swiveling his gaze across the space below them. As far as the eye can see, it’s just forests and green. Mountains stand jagged on the horizon.</p>
<p>“Just wait,” Fives says. “You’ll see. I read about this.”</p>
<p>“You can read?”</p>
<p>Fives smacks his arm. “Just wait,” he repeats.</p>
<p>“For what?”</p>
<p>“Echo, please shut up. For two seconds. I’m begging you.”</p>
<p>Echo holds his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay,” he says. “Fine. I’ll trust you.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you always?”<br/>Echo feigns dismay. “Am I supposed to?”</p>
<p>“Be quiet.”</p>
<p>Echo props his arms on his knees and rests his chin atop them. He’s coiled with anticipation, but it’s looser than the concentration he had during the war. Lighter. Fives scoots closer and slings an arm around his shoulders.</p>
<p>The sun breaks the horizon in a burning orange haze: a cacophony of crimson and gleaming gold. The beams strike the mountains and reflect and refract, bathing the range in blazing bright. For an eternal breath of a moment, the world is dappled light.</p>
<p>Echo’s breath catches in his throat.</p>
<p>“Kinda cool, huh?” Fives says. “Told you you’d like it.”</p>
<p>Echo swallows thickly. “Fives?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Just be quiet,” he says, and blinks once, again. “All right?”</p>
<p>Fives pulls him close and ruffles his hair. “Okay,” he says. “Okay.”</p>
<p>They stay there for a long time, silent beneath the flaming sky.</p>
<p>--</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm <a href="https://jate-kara.tumblr.com/">jate-kara over on tumblr!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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